History, Mission, Vision, Goals

Pathways History & Background

College of Central Florida, located in Ocala , Florida, is in a region with a larger than average older population. Twenty-four percent of the county's population is made up of persons 65 years of age or older, and the increasing numbers of retiring “baby boomers” continue to impact this percentage.

CF's commitment to serving the 50 and better population dates back to the mid-1980's when the college was involved with Elderhostel. In 1989, Cathy Brewster led our college in a conversation concerning the provision of services to seniors through educational programs. That conversation culminated in the creation of the Senior Institute in 1991. In 2002, President Charles Dassance and Margaret Spontak led the college in a new conversation to enhance and broaden the services to create purposeful lives for seniors in our community. From that conversation grew Pathways to Living, Learning and Serving.